Creators of Visitor Experiences

Le Paléosite, St Césaire, Charente Maritime, France

This extensive museum-come-visitor centre houses 3 speciality theatres and two interactive exhibition spaces, together with café/restaurant and visitor gift-shop as an introduction to the archaeological dig-site on which it stands.

Housed in a simple industrial-type building, the centre accommodates a series of state of the interpretive experiences which employ sophisticated theatrical, cinematic, and interactive techniques to captivate the visitors.

Jerry Hewitt worked closely with multi-media production company Gibson Group to develop the concept, and executed the design commission, which included all the exhibition displays and interactives.

The centre itself acts as an interpretive gateway to a more expansive exploration of the archaeological site, leading to an extensive bush-walk along the cliffs to visit the locations of specific discoveries. At these intervals on the tour, small interpretive kiosks display location-specific information.

This project was for the same government department as the preceding project, although controlled by a different client panel, which included France’s top archaeologists. The visitor experience is paramount in this project, and building itself a simple container for that experience. Prioritising the needs of the visitor is an excellent discipline for an architect, and precludes any temptation to self-indulgence